1. Field of the Invention
This invention, relates to a connector assembly for a rotary electric machine, especially to an improved connector assembly, connecting a terminal end of one coil end to the starting end of the next coil, one after another for connecting the conductor ends of each stator coils, with an intention to simplify the construction of the electric machine, to minimize the number of required parts and to make easier the assembly thereof, and finally to make possible an appreciable cost reduction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been proposed small sized rotary electric machines constructed by laminating punched out silicon steel plates. In such types of electric machines, a stator which has a plurality of magnetic poles radially arranged at the interior of a ring shaped yoke is used, and each has windings onto the poles. The connector means, connects the terminal end of one coil winding to the starting end of the next, and thus such means of connection which connects all the winding of coils one after another, is an important key for cost reduction in manufacturing this type of rotary electric machine. A conventional connector assembly is formed by directly soldering lead wires to the junction between the above mentioned both ends. However another type of connector construction uses a plurality of pins for this purpose.
Here is given in explanation on such construction by referring to FIGS. 1 through 4.
FIG. 1 shows construction of a conventional Hybrid Type Stepping Motor. There is a rotary shaft 1, around which a rotor 3 is fixed. The rotor 3 consists of a permanent magnet 5 sandwiched between a pair of rotary elements 7, 7. Radially outside the aforesaid rotor 3, a stator 9 is located. The stator 9, as shown in more detail in the fragmented drawings of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, is constructed by stator cores 11, which are placed between a pair of insulators 13 and 13 around which a plurality of coils 15 are wound. A plurality of conductive pins 17 are press fixed to one side (right side in FIG. 1) of the above-mentioned pair of insulators 13, 13 after having passed through a printed circuit board 19 mentioned hereunder. There is provided the printed circuit board (hereinafter called PCB) 19 as shown in FIG. 2. On the PCB 19, a specific number of conductive paths of designated conductive routes 21 are printed. Each of the circuit routes has a hole 23 at each end. The PCB constructed as explained above, is joined together at the right side of the stator as shown in FIG. 2. In other words, each pin 17 is inserted into the insulator 13 after it is passed through each hole 23. The terminal ends of one coil 15 and the starting end of another coil 15 are wound around the designated pin 17, then they are soldered.
Next, a connector 25 is jointed thereto. The connector 25 consists of two members 27 and 29. Through this connector 25, electric current can be supplied from any external power source. The member 29 is a pin, the base of which is fixed by soldering onto the circuit path of PCB 19.